In the field of culturing and detecting microorganisms, specialized culture bottles and machines for holding the culture bottles are used for detecting the presence of microorganisms in a test specimen. Bottles, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,945,060; 5,094,955; and 5,162,229 have a culture medium and a sensor in the interior of the bottle that undergoes a detectable change due to the growth of microorganisms present in the bottle. The change in the sensor is monitored from outside the culture bottle through the transparent wall of the culture bottle, such as with a light emitter and detector as disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,164,796 and 5,217,876. For most assays, the culture bottles should be agitated for best results. Clips, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,074,505, can hold the culture bottles in place in the incubating machine during agitation. All of the above-mentioned patents are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference.